https://time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/
Getting off Drugs is a 12 Step Process:
Step 1: Make drugs illegal; driving up their price on the Black Market
Step 2: Black Market profits encourage Organize Crime gangs to sell drugs
Step 3: Rich Drug dealers buy politicians that create drug legislation keeping drugs illegal and to protect profits.
Step 4: Politically motivated Drug War directs Law Enforcement toward incarcerating rival drug dealers of other races to strengthen the political power of the establishment.
Step 5.: Crime syndicates expand along with murder and violence used to drive voters to expand Drug War.
Step 6: After many decades, the Drug War and crime become so bad that eventually, the populace elect reformers, who legalize drugs and regulate drugs.
Step 7: Along with an initial drop in crime, politicians see revenue from drug taxes.
Step 8: Establishment politicians quickly use drug taxes as easy ways to fund their “pet programs” and gain more votes for their brand of “Progress”
Step 9: Establishment politicians increase regulations on small producers to discourage competition from their preferred Big Drug Company benefactors
Step 10: Make drugs so expensive to produce that producers resort to selling on the Black Market illegally.
Step 11: Establishment Politicians see a threat to their tax revenues due to Black Market drugs.
Step 12: Go back to Step 1